What If
by mythology1746
Summary: Too many deaths take place starting with the death of Sirius Black. This story is basically what would happen if a number of people hadn't died. Not to worry, there are no changes with any of the pairings, so I hope you enjoy! Rated T for some language.
1. Order of the Pheonix, excerpt 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter books; they are property of J.K. Rowling  
Hi everybody, Starlight1746 here! This FanFic is based on what would happen if some of the deaths that start in book number five (The Order of the Phoenix) hadn't happened. This chapter is from the scene in Order of the Phoenix when Harry and Hermione come out of the Forbidden Forest after getting rid of Umbridge. The first difference here is that instead of their friends coming out of the school, it's Snape. You may recognize some of the dialogue in Dumbledore's office, because the only difference in that scene is the lack of Harry breaking things and the yelling.**

"Potter, Granger, where do you think you're going?" Snape asked, sneering.

"We're going to save Sirius in the Department of Mysteries. Don't try and stop us!" Harry half yelled back at Snape.

"Listen to me, you insolent boy. The Dark Lord is planting false images into your mind; he is only trying to get you there and use you as his pawn! Do not let him do that, Potter! If you make a move to leave I will put a Body-Bind on you." Snape threatened through clenched teeth. Hermione had to hold back Harry from lunging himself strait at Snape and punching him.

"No!" Harry bellowed, "You are a liar! You've always been on Voldemort's side!" Harry was satisfied as Snape cringed at the name.

Just then, Luna came running out of the castle. "Harry," she said, panting slightly, "He's at Headquarters, whatever that means. Ron and Ginny just told me to tell you that Padfoot-is he your dog?-is safe at Headquarters. They just talked to Professor Dumbledore, who wanted you to know so you didn't do anything irrational." Harry finally got out of Hermione's and ran up and hugged Luna, who was now smiling serenely.

Ron and Ginny, who was looking oddly smug, now came out of the castle, then none other than Professor Dumbledore himself came out of the Forbidden Forest. "Harry, please come with me into my office." Harry nodded and obediently walked up to the Headmaster's office. Once in the office Harry sat down across from Dumbledore at the desk.

"Harry," Dumbledore said, "do you know why Voldemort has tried to lure you into the Department of Mysteries tonight?" When Harry shook his head, Dumbledore said, "In the Department of Mysteries, there is a fabled place called the Hall of Prophecies. Any prophecy ever created is stored in that room. Only the person to whom the prophecy refers to can lift the prophecy from its place, though, so Voldemort needed you to go in so that he could learn the prophecy in full."

"But, sir," Harry asked, "why couldn't Voldemort just go in himself?"

"Ah, but Harry, you must understand, Voldemort still wants people to not believe that he is back, and he still wants people to believe you and I are loons plotting a conspiracy. If he appeared at the Ministry, not only would he have to fight his way out-which I doubt he would care about a few more people getting killed-he would also alert the public o the fact that he is back and that you and I have been telling the truth."

"And, sir, what were you doing back here tonight?"

"Oh, Harry, Kreacher had informed me of what you told him, and what he told you, and I quickly had to choose weather to go to the Ministry or to come here. Considering the fact that the Ministry would like to have me captured and put in Azkaban, I think it is safe to say that coming to check up on things here first was a good idea. I was most impressed to hear of the lengths you and your friends would go to save Sirius. Now, however, I would like you to hear the full prophecy."

"But, the prophecy can only be retrieved by me or Voldemort, I thought."

"Oh, but I was the one to hear it. On a cold, wet night sixteen years ago, in a room above the bar at the Hog's Head inn. I had gone there to see an applicant for the post of Divination teacher, though it was against my inclination to allow the subject of Divination to continue at all. The applicant, however, was the great-great-granddaughter of a very famous, very gifted Seer and I thought it a common politeness to meet her. I was disappointed. It seemed to me that she had not a trace of the gift herself. I told her, courteously I hope, that I did not think she would be suitable for the post. I turned to leave."

Dumbledore then stood and walked to the cabinet that stood beside Fawkes' perch and pulled out the stone Pensieve, placed it upon the desk and, using his wand, placed a memory into the shallow basin. He then tapped his wand on the edge of the basin and Sybill Trelawney rose out of it and spoke in the harsh, hoarse tones Harry had heard only once before:

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... the one to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..."

Then slowly, Professor Trelawney sank back into the basin and silence fell in the office.

**The conversation continues on (including Harry mentioning how Snape did nothing when he said what he had said about Sirius), but when Dumbledore mentions Sirius, it is to say that it is what could have happened, and not as it did in the book. Harry's imagination does not wander and think about Sirius and how far away he is, but about all the possibilities of what may or may not have happened if he went to save a Sirius that was never in danger. Now, we jump to Voldemort, deciding once and for all to break into the Ministry, having his Death Eaters used as decoys to draw attention away from the Ministry. Dumbledore quickly hears of Voldemort being there (from a 'reliable source') and makes his way to the Ministry of Magic. The two battle it out just like in the Order of the Phoenix, but Harry is not there and Fudge walks in just in time. A few of the things that happened, as you can imagine, in the book don't happen now (I'll leave it up to you to figure out which ones). Now, we're at Hogwarts' leaving feast, which Harry is attending this time through...**

"Now," Dumbledore says, "before you dig in to eat, I must tell you of this: Lord Voldemort has returned, as I said last year, and I have not been lying. It is also important to say that a man that almost everyone here believes is a Muggle killer is innocent. I am talking, of course, of Sirius Black." There were a lot of shocked gasps before Dumbledore continued. "The man who won an Order of Merlin, First Class was the true murderer. I am speaking of Peter Pettigrew, who is an unregistered Animangus and used it to frame Sirius Black. Dolores Umbridge, when she turns up, is going to be sentenced to one year in Azkaban for sending Dementors to Harry's home in Little Whining and for almost cast an Unforgivable at Harry a few nights ago. Before we eat, I must tend to one more important matter, and that is awarding the House Cup. It has come to my attention that Gryffindor has no points; I shouldn't be impartial but I must say we cannot have a House with no points at the end of the year and so I say ten points to anyone who joined the group called Dumbledore's Army. Twenty points to Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, and Ginny Weasley for loyalty. Now, where does that leave us? Oh yes, at a tie. And so I split the House Cup, for the first time in the history of Hogwarts, as far as I know, between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor Houses!  
Let us now eat!" And all the plates suddenly had an enormous amount of food on them.

But, oddly, Dumbledore, instead of sitting down, went over to Snape, said something to him, then went over to his seat, sat down, and whispered something to McGonagall, who quickly jumped up out of her seat and walked over to the gap between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables, not stopping as she said, "Potter, please join me in my office in five minutes time." Only Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, and Neville heard the professor. Once McGonagall was out of the Great Hall, Harry got up and said-loud enough for a few other people to hear him-he had to use the restroom.

Once Harry arrived in McGonagall's office, she said, "There you are, Potter. I just wish to inform you that Sirius is waiting in the Headmaster's office; he wishes to speak with you once you finish your meal."

"I'm not even hungry, Professor, could I just go see him now?" Harry asked.

"Of course; the password is 'prophecies'" Harry nodded then quickly set off the stone gargoyle that marked Dumbledore's study. He gave the password then stepped into the room to find Sirius wringing his hands. Harry said "er..." to acknowledge his presence and Sirius stood up and hugged him."I've been so worried about when I heard about what nearly happened-about what you nearly did! Never, under any circumstances, go into the Department of Mysteries."

"What did you do with Kreacher?" Harry asked, avoiding the subject of the Department of Mysteries.

"I've made him work here and follow Dumbledore's every order to him. You know what, Kreacher! KREACHER!"

There was a loud CRACK and Kreacher appeared in front of the pair, wearing a towel with the Hogwarts emblem on it.

"Master called?" Kreacher croaked.

"Yes," said Sirius, "I want you to apologize, sincerely, to Harry for lying to him and for injuring Buckbeak."

Kreacher got a funny look on his face, sort of like a spasm, and then said, "You wish for Kreacher to apologize to the filthy half-blood, son of an even filthier Mudblood, for the Dark Lord, who only wished for peace among the Wizarding World?"

"You are forbidden from using the terms 'filthy half-blood', 'Mudblood' and 'blood-traitor'! Oh, and, yes, I would." Sirius growled.

Kreacher muttered, "I'm sorry" with great disgust before Sirius ordered him to fetch Ron, Hermione, Neville and Luna, who came running in not five minutes later. Neville stopped dead, staring strait at Sirius, fear written all over his face. "It-I-you're Sirius Black!" He stammered.

Sirius smiled kindly and knowingly at Neville. "Yes, Neville, and it's nice to finally meet you. Harry tells me wonderful things about you."

Neville flushed about four different shades of red before Luna said, "Hullo, Mr. Black. It's very interesting to meet you. My name's Luna Lovegood; my father publishes the Quibbler; it was him who let Harry have that article earlier this year." Sirius nodded and smiled kindly at her.

"Now, I have heard from Harry that you are all friends of his, and so I just wanted to formally introduce myself as his Godfather and invite you all to my home over the summer." Everyone-Harry included-gasped loudly and then smiled, nodding their heads. Now Sirius spoke directly to Harry. "I'm going to have Dumbledore get you out of your Aunt and Uncle's place as soon as possible, I promise."

**And this is the end of Chapter One! Suspenseful, isn't it? Chapters one and two and even possibly three are only going to be excerpts from the books but then I'm planning on re-writing a large portion of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I'll post chapter two as soon as I can.  
-Starlight1746**


	2. AN

**Hello one and all. Yes, I know, I hate seeing a new chapter and it really just being an A/N. But I'm sorry to say, this story will no longer be updated in this incarnation. I am not going to delete it off of this website; however, it will no longer be updated here at this link address. I will be revising, rewriting, reposting, and then finishing some the remaining stories while entertaining new ideas. I can't promise fast updates, and I can't promise any consistent rate, but I can assure you that if you want to stick with my stories, they will all eventually be finished. If you have any questions, please feel free to message me. Also, I am looking for beta readers for almost everything remaining. This includes helping me with brainstorming ideas, fixing grammar and spelling typos that I may overlook, and just overall improving what I might be posting. Thank you for your patience, and I'm sorry.  
****-mytholoy1746 {formerly Starlight1746}**


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